Big Black Holes Switch-off Star-making in Old Galaxies

October 24, 2014 5:32 AM

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Supermassive black holes can interfere with the formation of young stars by emitting vast quantities of particles in aging galaxies.

Stars are formed when hot gas starts to fall toward a galaxy's black hole, causing the gas to cool down and condense. But a recent study has found that black holes spew out radio-frequency feedback, which likely heats up interstellar gas and prevents it from forming new stars.